Back to the House
by Fae 206
Summary: Fourteen whole years have gone by since Mac and Bloo played at Fosters and Mac has now graduated university with a film degree. However, in trying to find work, Mac picks up a job at Fosters under the new management of Frankie. How will Mac adapt to being back in the house of friends and how will the friends treat him now that he's twenty-two and no longer that young boy anymore.
1. Chapter 1

**AN:** This is my first Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends fic ever but I'm really trying to branch out into other fandoms whilst still writing for Skip Beat. The reception for each of my new fics will go into influencing the update rate eventually but for now please enjoy this first chapter 😊

 **Back to the House**

 **Chapter One**

Mac had recently graduated from film school but it was difficult finding work, he had his own ideas of documentaries that he wanted to make but since he had only just earned his degree, the work that he was finding was very limited and he had needed to have something he could do whilst also trying to break into the industry. He had loved making movies ever since he had filmed the information for the Foster's website.

He had always treasured that footage despite Bloo's creative additions, in fact it was Bloo's editing that he missed most. When Mac had turned fourteen, he and Bloo decided that they were drifting apart and though neither one of them had wanted that, it was inevitable. Mac had therefore tracked down the perfect kid to adopt Bloo and welcome him into their home. Five years later, the boy, now twelve had returned Bloo to Fosters and Mac had come back from his studies to find Bloo another home where he could enjoy himself.

Maybe he should just wait and adopt Bloo back, he really did miss that blob of a friend. That wouldn't be weird right, a twenty-two-year-old adopting an imaginary friend, well not if he was the creator. That was only reasonable, right? He sighed. Bloo wasn't up for adoption again and he was too cool a friend to be but maybe some of the old friends that had had known would be there and Frankie would definitely be there. She had just turned thirty-four and was as attractive as ever.

He looked around at the renovations and expansion to the house. Despite Madam Foster being such an important unique woman and her death – also Mr. Harriman's death – creating a black cloud over the house, Frankie had picked up the job and was doing amazing work and the house was doing better than ever. He could trust her as well, she would make sure all of the friends were taken care of. He walked up the steps to the house, noticing some friends that he didn't recognize in the front yard and rang the doorbell.

Did he have to pass an interview? Didn't Frankie say that she'd just hire him on the spot and she'd allow him to live there as well if he did all his duties and she had said that there was more free time as well because there were a couple people volunteering their time to help out. Mac waited at the door and grinned as he saw Frankie answer it herself.

"Mac!" she grinned as she threw her arms around her human friend, "Oh my god! It's great to see you! How've you been, you look good," she said and Mac closed his eyes feeling the nostalgia of childhood. He had actually grown up extremely good looking and he was more surprised than anyone. He had even booked some modeling work by just walking down the street. He hadn't expected to have anyone's eyes catch onto him but the photo work that he had done proved that he was handsome and sexy as well.

"Yeah, it's good to be here, it's been a really long time," he told her as he let his fingers run through his hair. "I brought my resu-"

"Aww, Mac, you didn't need to bring your resume," Frankie smiled to him as she grinned at him once again. "We all know how much you care for the Fosters friends and you're both smart and a hard worker and now you have a college degree as well. No, call it nepotism or whatever but when I saw your application I knew that you were perfect for this job. And there's a surprise for you as we-"

"Fraankiee! Have you seen my boot? I think I left it outside when I was playing with -" Eduardo said as he came down the hallway and Mac grinned energetically. He walked quickly to his old friend and saw Ed look surprised and a little nervous.

"Uh, sorry" he laughed as he put his hands up, it had been three years sine he had visited Fosters and at that time he had heard that Eduardo had been adopted by a Hispanic family with two young boys. Therefore he hadn't seen the purple friend since he was twelve and that was ten years ago. "I'm not going to hurt you, guess I've changed a bit, right?"

"Senorita Frankie," Ed whispered as his eyes went between them, "There is someone new here," he said and Mac laughed as he put a hand to his forehead.

"Am I that unrecognizable?" he asked as he took a step back from Eduardo.

"Well, most friends remember you from when you were a little kid. I'm sure that as they get to know how much you haven't changed, they'll warm to you again," she told him and Mac nodded.

"Sorry, Ed. I guess since friends don't really change but us people do so I should have acted with more tact." He coughed before taking a step forward, "hola, Eduardo Qué gusto verte de nuevo," he said in Spanish which meant _hello, Eduardo. What a pleasure to see you again._ "Soy Mac. Jugamos juntos cuando era joven." (I'm Mac. We played together when I was young.)

"Senor, Mac?" Eduardo asked as he studied him and Mac smiled with a nod of your head, "You learned Spanish. You are un hombre muy sexy" he said and Mac paused. He wasn't used to the friend saying things like that about him.

"Uh, thanks Ed," Mac smiled weakly as Frankie laughed at the interaction. "I'm going to be working here temporarily," he said as he saw Ed getting excited about it. "I needed the money and Frankie was kind enough to hire me on to help around the house so I could help you with your boot if you'd li-"

"Are you really Senor Mac?" Eduardo asked again and Mac nodded. He wasn't surprised when the purple friend grabbed him and pulled him into a massive hug. "This is such good news. I was wanting to see you but since Senor Bloo was adopted then -"

"Weren't you adopted?" Mac asked as he took a step back, "What happened?"

Eduardo sighed and looked down, "Well, it was nice playing with them and I thought that I'd found a forever home but one day Filipe and Hector were playing with me and they told me that we all had to hide and something uh…it scared me and I ran out and then I saw them being put in an ice cream truck and I waited but they never came back so luckily I knew my way back to Fosters to wait for them."

Mac blinked confused, "They were in an ice cream truck?" he asked and Frankie moved forwards so that only Mac could hear her.

"Ed saw them being put in an ICE truck," she said and Mac nodded sadly. "We tried to get them sponsored but there was nothing that we could do and then we lost all trace of them. Ed was so upset for such a long time."

"However, it is better now because not only are you here but Senor Bloo as well," he said and Mac blinked confused.

"Bloo's family returned him?" he asked, "Is he -"

"Senor Bloo is watching TV," Ed said and Mac turned to look at Frankie, his excitement shown all over his face. Frankie nodded and Mac quickly made his way to the lounge where he could see his old friend playing video games.

"Hey, Bloo," he said and Bloo looked up at him.

"Oh," he said without much interest, "Hey. Who are you again? I mean, grab a controller if you want but you may have to ca-"

"As much as I'd love to totally win against your score, I thought that you'd at least recognize me. I recognized you," he said and Bloo shrugged.

"It's easy to recognize _me_ ," he said and Mac closed his eyes with a groan.

"Okay, sure, maybe I created a very recognizable friend but that's good right, now people won't be able to forget you or forget the memories of you together," he said before walking over to the blue blob. He knew that he had changed but he was hoping that Bloo would still respond to him. "It's really good to see you again, Bloo," he told him and Bloo's eyes widened and his mouth turned into a smile.

"Mac!?" he asked dropping the controller and running into Mac's arms. "How are you so big and mature old buddy, old pal?" he asked and Mac grinned. "Man….you really did turn into an old guy," he said and Mac closed his eyes.

"It's really good to see you again, Bloo."


	2. Chapter 2

**AN:** Thanks so much for the support and patience everyone. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

 **Chapter Two**

"So," Bloo said excitedly as he picked up the controller for the video game console. "Are you ready to get thrashed at this game. I'm sure that I can defeat you as easily as I always have, huh? You want to bet on it," he said trying to sound intimidating but Mac shook his head.

"I'm going to have a talk with Frankie, probably get some documents sorted to so that I can learn what my duties are in the house," he said before standing up with a grin. "I'll talk to you later, promise," he said with a wink, "We can catch up."

"Sure, paperwork has always been your favorite thing anyway," Bloo shrugged. He looked at Mac longingly, he hadn't realized how much he had missed his creator. He had had other friends but when Bloo had compared them to Mac they had always come up short. Now that Mac was here under the same roof, Bloo was looking forward to bonding with him again. Still, looking at him scared Bloo. After all of these years, he had stayed the same blue blob but Mac was now a grownup. He must have changed in ways that Bloo couldn't begin to understand.

Hopefully they could still be friends.

"Yeah," Mac laughed as he pushed his hair back. "Listen, I'll come back down and see you but the paperwork means that I can have a room here, that I can work legally for the home, that I get paid," he said and Bloo's eyes widened.

"You get paid?" he asked and Mac shrugged before nodding.

"Fosters pays pretty well and there are good benefits so yeah, I get paid," he said and Bloo looked at him excitedly. "Listen, I'm not going to spoil you but I'll purchases some stuff for the house if I'm able to afford it. I'm trying to get a bit of money to cover student debts and launch my career."

"Your career?" Bloo asked suspiciously, "What career? You're going to tell me that you're a race car driver who has been on modelling shoots and has a million dollar contract?" he asked and Mac raised an eyebrow. "No, those types of jobs are only for the _coooolest_ people, like me" he said and Mac shrugged.

"Sure, I mean I would love an expensive car and I wouldn't pass up a million-dollar contract but I don't have those things yet. I have modelled for some magazines though," he told his friend. "I'll come find you as soon as I can."

Bloo sighed before going back to the video game.

…

…

Bloo had gone to the park without telling anyone. He didn't feel that he had to. After so many years of being alive, he felt that Mac would pay him the majority of his attention when he returned but even though both of them were under the same roof, there seemed to be a distance that was suffocating him. Bloo didn't think he had the old Mac back, not without the influence of sugar.

Today a basketball game was being played by the disabled team that Wilt's kid was on. She was the star of her team but had been in a wheelchair since she was five. Now she was eight and although some people might say that was too old for having imaginary friends, Wilt kept her motivated and helped her develop her skills. They had met at just the right time.

Bloo looked up at his tall friend who was being a cheerleader for the team. "I don't get it. I don't get how one kid can change so much," he said and Wilt looked down upon him.

"That's the thing, right, Bloo?" Wilt asked. "Mac _isn't_ a kid anymore. I'm sorry to tell you that he's an adult now. He's going to have matured and he's not going to be like he was all those years ago. I mean, I bet deep down, if you talked to him, he's still the same Mac. Is that okay?" he asked. Over the years, Wilt had cut down on his apologizing somewhat but it was still an innate part of his character.

"No, he's just a _booo-oooring_ grownup," Bloo commented and Wilt shook his head.

"You know at the Fosters reunions, all the friends' creators came to see them. Well, most of them were grownups and Madam Foster, she was most definitely a grownup, I mean, I'm not saying that she was old but she had lived for a long time, is that the same thing?" he asked himself before shaking his head, "Not that it matters but all of us have creators who aren't kids any longer. I know that Jordon and I played a lot as kids. It's good when I see him though. He might not be that much of a kid anymore but a creator and a friend, there's a bond there and he comes and sees my kid too."

Bloo rolled his eyes, he didn't want to listen to this. He wanted the young boy back who he had played with and who he had had those great conversations with about the future. Why did Mac have to grow up? He had been great the way he had been when he was younger. Now he was talking about paperwork and what to do about the house like a really boring grownup.

Maybe there was one weapon that he could use which would bring the old Mac back. He could pull the winning blow out and everyone would know that Mac could be as crazy and fun as he used to be. He was caught off guard when Wilt commented again.

"I think the best thing to do is to give Mac a chance. I mean, Mac would give you a chance right? I'm sure that if you do that, the two of you will be friends again in no time. I'd like to see him too. You'll tell him that won't you?" Wilt asked. "I'm sorry if that's asking too much."

"Sure, sure I'll tell him," Bloo grinned coldly, "maybe a teaspoon of sugar will help the medicine go down."

….

….

As Bloo appeared back at the house, he took a deep breath in as he tried to think of how to handle the 'Mac problem'. He didn't even know if his so-called friend knew that there was a problem but Bloo didn't want some adult who wanted to take charge, he wanted his young friend back. Without the use of a time machine maybe sugar was the best way of doing so.

As he entered the house, he saw Mac sitting on the stairs helping some of the younger friends with their long ponytails which they had got caught together when spinning. These were friends created by two sisters who wanted to play with someone when the other wasn't there, there were four in total and they looked like white teddy bears made out of meringue with pony tails.

"There," he said with a smile as he gently separated the four of them, "Does that feel better?" he asked and the teddy bears all hugged him before starting to float away. Mac turned his attention to Bloo. "Where were you? You had me worried?"

"Really?" Bloo asked, "I wasn't expecting you to worry. I mean, you had to do all of that paperwork, right?" he asked and Mac nodded. "You obviously don't have time to worry."

"I can do multiple things, you know," he chuckled, "Plus, it isn't like you to ju-what am I saying?" he laughed again, "It's exactly the type of thing that you would do to leave the house and not consider the fact that we might really worry about you, that I would worry about you."

"I wouldn't worry if I were you," Bloo commented, "I've been doing just fine _without_ your help," he pouted and Mac blinked. He hadn't been expecting this. He didn't know why Bloo was acting so petty, it wasn't as if he could have kept him for his entire life and he had found Bloo some pretty good homes over the years. He had done all that he could to help his creation.

"Wait," Mac asked confused, "Are you…mad at me for something? I'm sorry if I did anything that upset you. How about you tell me what it is and I can try to set it right?" he asked and Bloo shook his head before pulling out a bag with white granules in it. Mac froze as he looked at it.

"There, that might make you feel a little…less stable," he said and Mac's eyes widened as he gave a haunted look at his friend. Surely Bloo didn't know what it was or had things really gone downhill for the families that he had been with.

"This isn't," Mac started as he picked up the clear bag with white granules in it. He turned it in the light. What was Bloo trying to pin on him? Did imaginary friends now deal with drugs, no his mind was getting ahead of him.

"See, scared, aren't you?" Bloo asked, "surprised. It took me a bit of work to get my hands on that stuff."

Mac opened his mouth to speak before closing it again, his eyes wide as he looked completely freaked out that Bloo had just given him this. There weren't any markings on the bag either.

"See, that is top grade sugar," he said as Mac smiled, his body relaxing and he laughed. "I'm not joking. That is premium sugar from the grocery store. I just grabbed a bag and cut a rip into a bag of sugar so I could collect it," he said and Mac continued to laugh in relief.

"Oh, I have a pill that can help me with sugar now," he said with a smile and Bloo looked at him in disbelief. So, the sugar wasn't going to have the effect that he was looking for? Then why had he taken so many steps in making sure he had it.

 **End of Chapter Two**

 **Thank you for the reviews everyone**

Demiajaie, Guest, Narutofanficlov321, The Howling Behemoth


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

"So, I know you told me that you know a little about cooking," Frankie said as she stood with Mac in his new room at the house, "but if you have any questions then please ask me. There are some friends that love cooking who are going to be helping out but," Frankie laughed, "managing friends might not make the work any faster or any easier. I'm having the groceries delivered but it might still take an hour or two to prepare all of it."

Mac looked down the list and nodded. He would later grab a notebook so that he could sort out the different dishes for the friends and decide which of the friends helping him would be best in each role there was. He saw Frankie looking around the room and she sat down.

"I'm really interested in your film career, Mac" she told him and he smiled as he thought about the classes that he had taken. "I never feel that my degree comes in useful but hey, here I am, and some of the things that we do actually raise a lot of money for the house. I think Mr. Harriman would freak if he knew but you gotta roll with what you've got."

Mac nodded, "Thanks, Frankie," he smiled. He had to agree with her, the house at least felt a lot more refreshing although he was starting to miss the friends that weren't there. He saw Frankie's eyes widen though as she noticed something near the window ledge. She hummed as she went over and picked up the small bag filled with sugar.

"Not to be invasive -" she began and Mac stood up quickly. He knew what she was thinking.

"I don't do drugs," he told her quickly, "I'm not on drugs or anything. I've never done drugs, when you know you're going to be surrounded by imaginary friends then drugs aren't interesting any more. That bag was…Bloo."

"The bag is Bloo?" Frankie asked and Mac hung his head.

"Well, Bloo wanted me to be a little less interested in paperwork and a lot more interested In him. He must have thought that I changed as I got older which I did, everyone does, but imaginary friends are less likely to, you know 'cause they're imaginary. Well, Bloo handed me this bag of sugar because when I was a kid sugar really affected me but it doesn't anymore," he told her and Frankie opened the bag to smell it and nodded.

Mac sighed but then turned to Frankie curiously. Sugar didn't really have a smell so how was she able to believe him just by sniffing it. He watched her, unsure of whether to ask her about it or not. Frankie laughed as she put it back in place.

"He's probably missed you so he's acting out," she said and Mac nodded. "I mean, it wouldn't be hard to miss you. You always treated him well and made sacrifices for him and found him new homes where he would be safe and loved. I mean, you were a great owner and you are a fabulous creator. Bloo's most likely responding to that. Did you want to take tonight off from cooking to spend more time with him?" she asked and Mac shook his head.

"Honestly, I'd prefer to do the job that I was assigned to do. Bloo will be fine without me. He has to be fine without me." Mac looked to Frankie before the list and took out some paper. He managed to draw the kitchen and where each of the tasks should be performed. Frankie watched him. Despite her seeing the old Mac, it was definitely obvious that he had changed. He still had that sweet personality though. He was perfect to have this job but she did understand Bloo's feelings. The blue blob had built Mac up so much in his head that he had created an ideal that even Mac couldn't live up to.

…

…

Mac stared at Coco as they stood outside the kitchen together. He knew that she had asked to work on the eggs for the meal and he trusted that she had the skill and precision to do a good job but she was a bird. He felt a little guilty knowing that he was giving the task of preparing eggs to a bird and now as he stood opposite her he just wanted to make sure she wasn't going to somehow steal the eggs.

"Are you sure that that's the station that you want to work at?" he asked and Coco rolled her eyes.

"Co Cooo" she said in a drawn out manner as if she was starting to tire of being asked that question. Mac took a breath in before shrugging.

"You aren't going to, I don't know, make the eggs disappear," he said and Coco looked at him for a long time. "I'm not sure. I mean, you lay eggs."

"Co co co co," Coco said as she turned her head away whilst annoyed.

Mac had to guess that she was telling him that these weren't her kind of eggs that they would be cooking and it was okay to cook the eggs that hens lay. Coco wasn't an omnivore either, she had eaten foods with meat in them. Mac sighed before nodding slowly.

"Okay, but I'll watch you and if you need to be moved then I'll do so. This meal is for everyone, okay?" he asked and Coco nodded.

"Cococo co coco coco co" she said before putting on a chef hat and making her way into the kitchen. Mac sighed as he let his back rest against the wall. He was a little exhausted from his job already but he had been through worse and his endurance was something that he had been known for."

"So I see that _somebody_ is resting instead of working," Bloo commented as he passed him and Mac smiled.

"As if you're one to talk," he winked. He looked at the friend that he had made when he was little and thought about the past. He had changed a lot since that time. "I'm off duty at eleven unless there's an emergency, now I know it's after your bedtime but how about we forget about that and play some video games. I know I'll crush you."

"Nah," Bloo shook his head, "I need my blooty sleep," he said as he turned and walked off and Mac looked at him in surprise. He honestly hadn't expected that Bloo would turn the offer down. He opened his mouth to say something but bowed his head and shook it. He was hoping that he hadn't upset Bloo by coming back here, maybe it wasn't a transition that Bloo was ready for.

When he had known that he had to leave Bloo and focus on more serious issues like school, Mac had had a hard transition himself. He kept thinking about the house, wondering what all the friends would be up to but without Bloo there, he hadn't wanted to return. In a way, during those earlier years, he had felt guilty and as if he was letting the whole house down with not being present. Those feelings were starting to return but instead of the whole house, Mac was wondering if he was letting Bloo down.

"Mac?" one of the smaller friends asked in a sweet voice and Mac nodded to them. "Are you ready to start?" she asked and Mac smiled, his eyes looking in the direction that Bloo had gone before he rolled up his sleeves.

"Absolutely," he told her before she led him into the kitchen.

As he stood in the house, Mac looked at a picture of Madame Foster that was hung on the wall and thought back to the times when she was alive. He had just been a kid when he had first entered this house. He had been someone who loved the wonder and silliness that the house brought and despite the fact that he was always considered kind of geeky and a little nerdy, it had brought him a lot of good memories.

He took a deep breath before starting to call out the directions for the friends to prepare dinner together. He was happy to see the friends enjoying taking part with helping out with dinner. When times had come with people pampering them it had been nice for them but far too much work for Frankie. She had found a happy medium and a harmonious way of them working together.

Mac just needed to figure the same thing out with Bloo. There was nothing that he needed to apologize for, right?

 **End of Chapter Three**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Two**

Beequeen65, The Howling Behemoth


	4. Chapter 4

**AN:** I know a lot of people wanted me to write Goo as a love interest but I see her as more of the best friend so I'm sorry if this disappoints anyone.

 **Chapter Four**

Mac sighed as he sat down on the edge of the bed in the room he had been given. He had hoped that after he finished all of the work that he could spend some time catching up with Bloo. Bloo had seemed to have other plans. Mac took a deep breath in before hearing his phone ring. He picked it up and saw the name Rachel on it, he smiled a little. Hopefully Rachel was ready to end their break that she had put on their relationship. She would love to come here, in fact her fascination with imaginary friends and the story of her own imaginary friend were two things that he loved about her.

He still wasn't sure what she would think about Bloo. He had hoped that were she ever to meet him that Bloo would be humorous, he would be confident, and that he would actually make an effort to get along with her. With his current behavior, Mac wasn't sure what the outcome would be.

"Hi," he said as he answered the phone call, "How are you? It's been a while."

"Not that long," Rachel said, "but thanks for giving me my space. I'm doing better, how are you?"

"I took that job," Mac told her and Rachel laughed. "I'm currently living with the friends and so it's very busy, I'm not sure the next time I'll have free time to spend together. I'm trying to focus on my…"

"On your camera work and filmography," Rachel said with a soft breath. "It's okay. I can wait. I know how passionate you are about your work. I want to help as soon as you let me," she said and Mac paused. He wasn't sure when, or if that time would come.

"Maybe if I ask Frankie, she'll get something arranged" he told her before grinning. "Do you want to be my girlfriend again?" he asked her and Rachel laughed.

"Of course. I want to be your girlfriend again," Rachel smiled and Mac closed his eyes. He felt a great sweep of relief as he listened to her. Maybe Bloo wasn't being as responsive as he hoped but at least he was getting his life back together outside the walls of this house. He and Goo had stayed friends over the years but there was no romantic attachment there, in fact there rarely had been even when he was a child.

She was out on safari or something anyway. Goo loved both imaginary friends and real life animals and Mac never had the guts to do some of the things that she did anyway. Whenever they _would_ spend time together, she would challenge him to step outside his comfort zone. Rachel was easy. They could watch movies together on the sofa, they could go out to dinner without trying the most unique item on the menu, they could just take a walk and talk.

Talking was easy but getting Bloo to talk, that was something else entirely. He sighed and lay back in the bed. He would have to do something to make this work. He had to meet Bloo in the middle but maybe the middle wasn't far enough, Bloo was a childlike imaginary friend, Mac had to put more work into them being friends again but with Bloo it was really tough in deciding what exactly _would_ work to rebuild their friendship.

…

…

As Mac finished clearing the table from breakfast, Frankie came over to him and started to pick up some of the dirty dishes too. Mac turned to her with alarm. This was his job and he didn't want anyone – even Frankie – to think that he was incapable of doing everything that she had asked from him. It wasn't a lot and it made him feel as if he was being burdensome.

"Let me help," Frankie told him as she moved to get the plate in front of her. "I know that it's a lot of work and maybe I should have hired more than one person, maybe get some volunteer recruits from the community college or high school, do like a work-study deal or something."

"It's a good idea but as for right now, I think that I've got it all," he told her and Frankie smiled with a nod.

"Still, helping out gives me selfish feelings that I'm doing something good," she winked before looking around. "I think you're doing an amazing job, Mac and you've been really happy today. Did you make up with Bloo?"

Mac sighed in disappointment. He hadn't made up with Bloo and in fact he hadn't even come up with a plan of how to make up with Bloo that wouldn't cause problems with the other friends. He couldn't help showing favoritism towards Bloo and the inhabitants of the residence understood this but there was showing favoritism as in paying a bit more attention and favoritism as giving gifts and pampering him when he wasn't doing that for anyone else.

"Bloo has always been tricky but with the time that we've spent apart, I think it's gotten trickier," he had to admit before pushing his hair back. "The problem is that we need to get to know one another again but he has no interest in knowing the person that I am now."

"I'm not sure that's true," Frankie commented, "Don't the two of you have like some kind of special bond?"

"I wish," Mac told her before looking back at her as he put the last pile of plates on the cart to get them washed. "No. I got back together with my girlfriend. It's nice to say that, I don't think that that sort of thing would cause me pleasure when I used to come here as a kid."

"Well, truth is that you're not a kid anymore," Frankie told him. She looked to the door where she could see a blue blob and a pair of eyes peering at the two of them. She tapped Mac on the shoulder," Turn slowly," she advised and he did. He smiled as he saw Bloo but pretended that the blue blob wasn't spying on them.

"I hope that I can still have that childish side for Bloo though," Mac said loudly, "I am still the same person just…much older and more experienced. If it wasn't seen as weird for a man my age to have an imaginary friend then I'd want to adopt Bloo but it's not fair on him. He needs to be with a kid who can give him the attention he craves."

Frankie laughed before looking at the dishes and ran the water into the sink. "Maybe one day you'll have a kid of your own," she said and Mac coughed as he attempted to swallow. "I don't mean right now but in the future. Have you ever talked to Bloo about that? Having him be your child's imaginary friend?"

"You think he'd want to do that?" Mac asked as he tilted his head to the side and Frankie laughed. She opened her mouth to speak before they were interrupted by the friend as he forgot that he was supposed to be hiding to spy on them more effectively.

"Of coooourse I'd want that," Bloo told him and Mac smiled. He was glad that Bloo had decided to talk to him again. "I mean, I'd need to teach any kid of yours to be cool and not lame. I mean, isn't that what I owe you because you created me?" he asked and Mac raised an eyebrow.

"I'll keep that in mind," he said before looking at Bloo. "I've got dishes to do and…"

"I'll help with that," Bloo offered and Frankie's jaw dropped as she stared at him, she hadn't heard that correctly had she? Bloo was volunteering to do chores. "I mean, it'd give us that time you've been crying about, that time to make up and talk so for your benefit….I guess I could give it a go."

Mac grinned as he looked back at him, "Okay. Pick up a sponge."

 **End of Chapter Four**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Three**

Dragon Bone Z, Princess Dash, The Howling Behemoth


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Mac continued to look at Bloo in shock as the imaginary friend really did help him with the dishes. He was actually trying to be good and it gave Mac a new perspective on things. Despite it not being his fault – because nobody can really change the fact that they get older – he had made Bloo feel that he had let him down. He watched the blue blob with a smile as he realized how the simplicity of Bloo's shape but the depth of his personality made him a truly exceptional friend.

"You knoooow," Bloo said as he rolled his eyes, "You're staring at me. It's kind of creepy," he emphasized as he continued to look forward. Mac shook his head as he dried one of the saucepans. "I mean, you are the reason that my hands are all wet now."

"You do understand that I've said thank you before," Mac chuckled, "but again, thanks for helping me."

"Well, it looked like you needed it," Bloo told him and Mac shook his head with a grin. He was happy that he was having this moment of bonding with his old friend. He had spent his early years feeling that Bloo was a connection to the world, a way for him to live with some kind of bond that kept him strong. Maybe Bloo was a fantasy creation but he voiced the words that Mac had inside perfectly.

"I did, thank you," Mac smiled before turning to Bloo, he cleared his throat and opened his mouth to say something but then closed it and kept his eyes forward.

Bloo turned to him suspiciously, "What?" he asked and Mac shook his head again. "You were going to say something, now if that is a secret something then I really want to hear it," he said and Mac closed his eyes and chuckled again, "Pleeeease. We used to share everything together," Bloo pleaded and Mac turned.

"You realize that I'm only here temporarily, right?" he asked and Bloo nodded.

"I know, I know. As much as I wish that it wasn't true, you don't belong in this house anymore. You're a grown up now and though you're getting paid for this, you have to leave us all behind," he said and Mac shook his head, his eyes widening a little.

"I still feel that I belong here, that I have friends here. I mean, Madam Foster was here for an extremely long time, no disrespect to her. I….I might, in a few years, I might want to have a kid of my own. I don't know whether it will be with my current girlfriend or with somebody else but I do know that I want to be a father," Mac told him acting in a very serious manner.

"Yuck!" Bloo responded and Mac turned to him, raising an eyebrow as he heard that. "Why would you want to have some bratty kid. If you're trying to intimidate me and tell me that your kid will have an even awesomer imaginar-"

"I was trying to ask if you would want to be my child's friend," Mac said and Bloo looked at him in surprise. His eyes widening as he saw the smile on Mac's face. "I mean, I'd still spend time with you and I know that being a baby's friend is a tough job but…I can't imagine another friend in the home."

Bloo felt his eyes fill with tears and he rushed over to Mac, wrapping his arms around the young adult's legs. Bloo could feel a wet patch on his shin and so pulled back but only so that he could kneel down and pull the blubbering, emotional friend into his arms. Bloo pushed his head into Mac's chest, afraid to show this much emotion even to Mac.

"Really?" Bloo asked and Mac grinned.

"I'm going to ask if I can adopt you for that reason," he told him and Bloo looked around. "I mean, I'm not leaving the house just yet and maybe Frankie will let you stay here but if she doesn't, you can come and stay at my apartment," he told him and Bloo stared at him. The one friend he had always loved the most was Mac and Mac was offering him a space in his home and a space in his heart.

Bloo didn't want to mess this up again.

…

…

Mac looked down at the cheque that he had received from his latest film work. Apparently the person who had hired him had sent his photos along to a film agency who were loving them. Though it probably wouldn't lead to a job, it did feel great to have his work so recognized.

Mac looked over at all the friends in the front garden, they were playing all kinds of games and seemed to be getting on okay. He was okay being a babysitter and just staying out here with them as long as he had enough time to do his other work.

"Senior Mac!" Eduardo yelled as he ran towards the young man. "What are you looking at?"

"Ah, it's a cheque that I have from my last job," Mac told him with a grin and Eduardo tilted his head to the side.

"Is this your job at Fosters? Wow, there are four numbers on there. That's a good cheque, right?" he asked and Mac looked to Ed who had always been good at saving money. He had had a huge treasure trove of it when Mac was a child and he imagined that he still had kept up with the same behavior.

"No, it's something else," he said and Ed blinked.

"You mean…Senior Mac, do you work at another home for imaginary friends? I thought that it was just Fosters but if there are other homes for imaginary friends imagine all the friends and imagine all the colors of friends," he said and Mac shook his head with a laugh. "I mean, there must be blue friends and red friends and…."

"It's for some photography work that I did. That's what I went to film school for, to learn about how to take photos and videos and make movies. They're just paying me some money that they owed me from before," Mac tried to explain and Ed shook his head.

"No, you went to school because you are muy muy inteligente," Eduardo said and Mac grinned to him. Sometimes it would take a while to explain the more complex matters to the imaginary friends. Most of them were created by young children and had the minds of children rather than adults.

"Gracias," Mac replied. Ed grinned and hugged him again.

"But, why not go and spend the money," Eduardo asked, "There must be many many things that you would like, Senior Mac. I mean, you could buy un monton de cosas with that money."

"Thanks, Ed," Mac replied, "I think that I'm going to save it so that I can take my girlfriend out to dinner. I want to find a place where she'd like to go."

"Your girlfriend?" the friend continued to ask, "Senior Mac, I hope you treat your girlfriend very very well. I hope you give them hugs and kisses and make batty eyes at them," he said as he imitated a movie that he had seen. Mac smiled before hearing a set of familiar footsteps.

"Don't worry," a young woman with long dark blond hair and blue eyes said as she stood in front of the two of them in a summer dress. "He treats me very well. I'm very lucky to be his girlfriend."

Mac immediately stood and kissed Rachel before taking her hand and gestured to her. "Ed, this is Rachel, she's my girlfriend."

"Seniorita Rachel," Eduardo smiled, "Tu es muy bonita."

"Gracias, me gusta tu pelaje," Rachel said as she saw Eduardo blush over the compliment that she had given his fur. Rachel turned to Mac. "Is this Bloo?" she asked and Mac shook his head.

"This is Eduardo, he's a friend who was here when I first came but he's been adopted and returned since," he said and Eduardo sighed. "He's a really nice friend, very protective and a little shy."

Rachel grinned as she held out a hand to Eduardo who tentatively took it. "It's really nice to meet you," Rachel told him and Ed nodded. "I can't wait to meet Bloo," she said and Eduardo nodded.

"Senior Bloo will be very happy to see you," he declared and Mac really wished that that was the case.

 **End of Chapter Five**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to** The Howling Behemoth **for reviewing Chapter Four**


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